Glasgow Rangers could face a mass exodus of first team players this summer, with seven in total all seeing their contracts expire at the end of the current campaign.
Players such as Allan McGregor, Steven Davis and Filip Helander will all be expected to depart; however, Michael Beale may try and convince Alfredo Morelos, Ryan Kent, Scott Arfield and Ryan Jack to remain at Ibrox, with the latter being one of the key members of the squad.
The Scot has been one of the better players this term, with his passing ability in the middle of the pitch a key strength, across 22 Premiership matches, he has averaged a 91% pass success rate while taking 58.6 touches per game.
Another key facet of his game is his defensive solidity and the 31-year-old loses possession only 6.6 times per game while making 1.3 tackles and 0.6 interceptions each match, suggesting he is an important cog in the midfield.
Losing him would be a major blow and although that will happen sooner rather than later, Beale can still get another season or two out of him.
The Englishman will be looking towards the future however and the Light Blues have recently been linked with Liverpool youngster Leighton Clarkson according to Football Insider.
Could Rangers sign Leighton Clarkson this summer?
The 21-year-old has spent the current season in the Premiership, turning out for Aberdeen and Beale will know all about his qualities having coached him at youth level when he worked at the Anfield side.
He has shone for the Dons this term, averaging a Sofascore rating of 7.14/10 and he was one of the standout performers in their recent 2-0 win over Rangers last month, Aberdeen’s first at home against the Glasgow side in seven years.
During that performance, Clarkson made three key passes, grabbed an assist, created one big chance, and made a staggering six tackles throughout the tie, nullifying Rangers across the midfield area.
His defensive metrics have actually been better than Jack’s this term, as the youngster has made two tackles and 0.7 interceptions per game and in terms of going forward, the Liverpool starlet offers a much more creative output than Jack.
Clarkson has registered seven assists, made 1.5 key passes per game and created seven big chances, with the Scot grabbing only two assists, 1.2 key passes per match and has created just two big chances, proving that not only would Clarkson be the ideal heir for Jack if he were to replace him, his statistics from this season show he could be an improvement.
Liverpool assistant Pep Ljinders waxed lyrical about Clarkson when he was just 17, claiming the player could “dictate play” and “speed up the tempo of the positional play” and there is no doubt he has a bright future in the game.
With the transfer window just around the corner, Beale should be making his move sooner rather than later.
